Health promoting appliance



July 12, 1949.. H, LOWRY- I 2,475,905

HEALTH PROMOTING APPLIANCE Filed Feb. 1, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor.

ALBERT hf LOWRY July 12 1949.' A, H. LQWRY 2,475,905

' HEALTH PR-OMOTING APPLIANCE Filed Feb. 1, 1945 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' Inventor F IE. 2

AZBERT h. LOWPY Patented July 12, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEALTH PROMOTING APPLIANCE Albert H. Lowry, San Diego, Calif.

Application February 1, 1945, Serial No. 575,703

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a spine exercising appliance and has for its object to provide a device through the use of which the spine of a user may be stretched and flexed in such a manner as to greatly invigorate and strengthen the same and thereby promote the health of any one making use of it.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spine exercising and stretching appliance, the use of which is controlled entirely by the user, whereby either gentle or vigorous treatment may be had according to the need and desire of each individual user.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spine exercising harness including a head-gear and means whereby the same may be pulled upwardly by the user in order to, in a harmless manner, stretch the spine and flex its muscles and tissues and increase circulation, whereby the health of the user is promoted to a great extent.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of my appliance, and

Figure 2 is a side elevational view illustrating the application thereof.

In the accompanying drawings as above enumerated and in the following specification, like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout and in which l refers to the device in its entirety and which comprises a head gear ll comprising an overhead round hardwood bar l2, reduced in diameter adjacent to its ends as at l3 and I4 for the width of the swing webs or other flexible members i5 and I6, which are returned over said reduced portions [3 and 14 of said rod, and which are stitched thereover as at I1 and [8 to snugly fit said reduced portions, whereby tubular bearing sleeves l9 and 20, are formed to oscillate upon the bar if need be. The tubes are held from displacement from the bar by the ends 2| and 22, of the bar.

Secured to the depending terminals of the webs are the upper ends 25 and 26, 21 and 28 of two pads 29 and 30 formed by folding a suitable width of cloth a number of times in order to provide pads which will not cut or chafe the user. The longer of these pads 29 is to fit under the chin of the user and the somewhat shorter pad 30 is adapted to fit against the neck back of the head of the user as clearly illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings.

The rod I2 is provided with a centrally disposed annular groove 3l, around which a sash cord 32 or the like is twice turned and knotted as at 33. The part 34 of the cord 32 is threaded through a pulley 35 and to its end 36 is secured 38 of the cord is threaded. At a suitable distance 2 from the pulley 31, the cord 38 is knotted as at 39 to prevent passing from over the pulley 31. The further portion 40 of the cord is provided with a series of spaced apart knottings which form handholds 4|, 42, etc. for the user.

In operation, the eye of pulley 35 is placed over a hook 44 which may be screwed into the head 45 of a door frame 46, after which the user seats himself upon the seat 49 and. places the pads 29 and 30 over his head in the manner indicated in Figure 2 of the drawings, and then pulls the tight fitting slip loops 4! and 48 to adjust the sling pads 29 and 30 to fit the head snugly. Then he takes hold of the depending portion 40 of the cord and pulls down gently thereupon, the double pulley action increasing the heft upon the head and thereby stretching and flexing the spinal column of the operator. It is obvious that the user of the appliance will immediately ascertain the extent to which he may pull down on the cord to afiord the greatest benefit. It will take only a comparatively short time to determine beneficial results from use of the appliance.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details and parts such as come within the purview of the invention claimed may be resorted to, in actual practice, if desired.

Having now describediny invention that which I claim as new and desire to procure by Letters Patent is:

A device of the character described comprising a transversely extending supporting bar havin reduced bearing portions adjacent its opposite ends, depending web members having tubular bearing sleeves formed on their upper ends adapted to snugly surround the reduced bearing portions of said bar, a pair of slings of unequal lengths formed of a plurality of layers of material secured to the depending ends of said web members, the longer sling adapted for positioning under the chin of a user the shorter slin disposed at the opposite side of the head and in contact with the back of the neck, and adjusting slip loops slidably mounted on said slings.

ALBERT H. LOWRY.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

